“How do you know my real name?” Lirya breathed out, her voice barely audible. “No one… no one should know that name…”

  The priest smiled gently at Lirya, sliding his hands back into his chainmailed sleeves. “Some will find it quite hard to hide secrets while in the presence of the Honored. Within these halls, things that are supposed to be known will be known to those who they are supposed to be known to.”

  “How knowing.” Mohki said dryly, causing the Priest to chuckle.

  Lirya however was still standing frozen in place, one of her free hands gently clutching onto Mohki’s shirt. “But… but I don’t…”

  “You are in no danger here, Lirya Ahbenjay.” The Priest said, nodding his head slowly forward in a motion that asked the two Kafya to walk with him as he turned. “If anything, you may find both enlightenment and purpose here, as a good friend of mine came to join me for lunch.”

  Lirya and Mohki followed after the chainmail-robed Human, Lirya keeping her black eyes locked on the man while Mohki gently guided Lirya with a hand at the small of her back.

  “Saska.” The Priest called out, pushing open a heavy door with oddly little effort.

  “What is it, Lawrence?” A female voice called out from within the small room.

  Lirya poked her head inside rapidly to see who was speaking, and was surprised to see a member of the Hands That Cradle sitting on a low wooden chair, feet propped up on Lawrence’s desk and eating a sandwich. She was far more odd looking compared to Lawrence, as she had bright yellow hair and matching eyes, something that fit well with her cattish face. The yellow seemed even more vibrant against her tanned skin, kissed by the sun with time mostly spent outdoors.

  While Lawrence wore the ornate robe, pauldrons, and likely a fine layer of chainmail underneath, Saska wore far odder clothing; The colors were that of roaring fire, deep oranges, reds, black and blues. Her boots were armored and heavy looking, made of leather and plates that were strapped all the way up to her knees. Her loose, baggy pants billowed out at just below her knees, while around her waist she wore a combination of belts. Across her waist was a cloth sash of black, over which she wore a leather belt that had all a manner of small daggers tucked into it. Her tunic was loose fitting at the top and split down the chest, exposing a jaunty heavy metal t-shirt.

  “Oh nice!” Mohki called out as she walked in, pointing at the shirt. “Guns and Roses!”

  Saska smiled at that, but did not stop chewing her sandwich through said smile or while she spoke. “I see we have ourselves a well educated Kafya!”

  “Must you talk while you chew?” Lawrence asked with narrowed eyes, then made a disgusted noise when Saska opened her mouth and showed him the mash of sandwich in her mouth.

  This made Lirya giggle, in which Saska’s eyes snapped over to the white Kafya.

  Lirya’s giggle died in her throat with a strangled “erk!” and she took a half step behind Mohki, the brown furred Kafya raising her eyebrows at Lirya, then at Saska.

  “... She is different.” Saska said lowly as she set down her sandwich, slowly coming up onto her boots beside Lawrence. “What is she?”

  Lawrence pondered at Lirya again, folding his arms with the light rustle of chainmail. “I’m not quite sure. You are getting the same feelings as well, yes?”

  Saska slowly pulled out her amulet, the silver hands cradling a broken crescent moon on a long, fine chain, and she flicked the crescent with her nail.

  The silver rang pure and lovely in the air, causing both Lirya and Mohki’s ears to twitch and pivot at the noises.

  “She’s pure, despite how she looks with all those scars.” Saska said, though her eyes were still narrowed. “Did she come here on her own?”

  Lawrence grinned at that. “She came to see inside the pretty building, something you lot likely don’t get a lot of.”

  “Don’t you get smart with me, pulpit kicker.” Saska said in an angrily teasing manner, tapping Lawrence on his chest with her strong finger. “Our temples are just as nice as yours.”

  Lawrence rolled his eyes at that. “Oh, I’m sure.”

  “What the fuck…” Mohki breathed out as Saska and Lawrence gazed at each other.

  To Lirya it looked like an old fire, and something inside of her told her that the two kept it kindled from time to time.

  “Uh…” Mohki said loud enough to get both of the Humans’ attention. “What is going on?”

  Saska gave Lawrence a pinch on the hip, her fingers strong enough to make sure he felt it through the chainmail and he let out a laughing hiss as he twisted away. “What do you know about your friend?”

  Mohki looked back at Lirya, who was still partially hiding behind her, then back at Lawrence and Saska. “She’s a white fur? Likes trading card games, cheese fries, has horrible taste in music…”

  “Hey!” Lirya hissed out as she stepped a foot around Mohki, then snapped back behind her when Saska took a few idle steps forward.

  “Is that all?” Lawrence asked, his voice taking on an odder, more directed tone.

  Saska grinned. “That’s not all she knows, not by a long shot.”

  Mohki looked uncomfortable at that, her ears coming back and her tail taking on an aggressive stance. “We’re not getting into that.”

  Mohki’s tone caused Lirya’s ears to perk up, and the white fur looked up at the side profile of the larger brown fur.

  Lirya was suddenly rather curious; Mohki knew something about her and didn’t want to share?

  Lawrence and Saska shared a knowing glance, though he handed her back her sandwich so she could continue eating.

  “Miss Lirya,” Lawrence began, having to suppress the little cuteness-overload signal his brain gave out when Lirya popped her head out and around Mohki’s side, “What do you know of your old ways?”

  Lirya shrugged at that, stepping out further from behind Mohki. “T-The old ways? Nothing much, really, there is very little left to learn. I’m named after Lirya, the white moon of the first planet, the great white Kafya that watches over us with the help of her brother.”

  “Is that all?” Saska asked aloofly, her eyes sliding over towards Mohki as she took a bite of her sandwich.

  Mohki avoided her gaze, instead looking out a nearby window.

  Lirya tapped the ends of her fingers together. “Um… well. My parents used to tell me old stories sometimes. How the ancient Kafya used to tie ribbons of their hair with Kafya who died, or the old feasts and festivals, or priests who bathed in moonlight.”

  “Tell me about those priests.” Lawrence asked politely, pulling out a chair for Lirya to sit on. “I love to learn.”

  Saska was still eyeballing Mohki, slowly walking around the brown furred Kafya and trying to force their eyes to meet.

  “Oh, thank you.” Lirya said quietly as she took the seat, folding her hands in her lap. “Um… well, my papa always told me that the white furs of old were blessed by moonlight? How the priests would bathe in moonlight to convene with Lirya and gain her wisdom. My mama would tell me how the old priests would be able to tell the future by starlight, or how they could calm and temper a mind, bringing peace.”

  Lawrence slowly nodded as Lirya spoke, then pulled out a chair for himself as he sat in front of her. “And what happened to those priests?”

  “I don’t know.” Lirya replied with a tilt of her head. “No one knows, really.”

  “Is that true?” Saska asked, standing fully in front of Mohki as the brown fur was looking right up at the ceiling to avoid looking at the Human. “No one really knows?”

  Mohki grimaced, swallowing hard as she slowly slid her eyes towards Lirya at an angle. “Er…”

  Lirya’s innocent black eyes looked up at her from her little chair, and Mohki slowly brought her head forward, Saska’s eyes grabbing hers as she chewed on her sandwich.

  She hated how Lirya made her do stuff like that, as if she were a child that Mohki didn’t want to disappoint.

  “Let’s just… say that there’s a reason why… there aren’t… a lot of white Kafya...” Mohki said haltingly, as she did not want to say that Lirya’s fur credence had been hunted like animals for thousands of years.

  “I see.” Saska said lowly, taking off another hunk of her sandwich with her white teeth as she glanced towards Lawrence.

  Lawrence nodded at her, the two of them communicating purely through their eyes and brows.

  Lirya saw this and happily wiggled in her seat, having learned about this form of Human communication in her classes taught by Miss La.

  “Lirya, are you aware of how special you are?” Lawrence asked her, sitting up straight in his chair and taking a more warriorish pose.

  “I know someone here does.” Saska muttered, then jammed her finger into Mohki’s belly button.

  This caused Mohki to spit out a curse and jerk backwards as if she had been struck by an arc of electricity, the brown fur hissing out a creative expletive as she held her hands in front of her stomach.

  “I’m not special.” Lirya replied quietly, her ears slowly coming down from their perked posture in reaction to Mohki getting poked in the belly button. “I’m a white fur.”

  Lawrence chuckled. “I wouldn’t say that. I’ve met only one other white fur, but she did not have the… presence, that you have.”

  “I’ve met three.” Saska said as she tossed the rest of her sandwich in her mouth, chewing loudly with a fully chipmunked cheek. “Non’offem war’ li’you, kid.”

  Lirya wasn’t sure what to say about that, and instead found herself turning and looking up at Mohki. “Mohki?”

  Mohki swallowed hard and turned her head to look at Lirya, that same innocent face filling her eyes.

  The same face that cried when slime got stuck in her fur.

  The same face that smiled broadly and giggled when talking with store workers.

  The face of Lirya.

  “Yeah?” Mohki asked her, stepping towards her friend and tucking her hands into her pockets.

  Lirya fidgeted with her fingers, looking down at them before returning her gaze to Mohki. “What do you think?”

  “About what?” Mohki snorted with a smile.

  Lirya shrugged with a pointed nod towards Lawrence. “About what he’s saying. About me.”

  Mohki swallowed hard again, more because Saska was staring at her with those yellow eyes and seemed to be trying to bore into her brain with them. “Well… I… I mean… you do have a way… with people.”

  Saska grinned at that, cracking the fingers of her right hand with her thumb while turning around to speak at Lawrence again with her eyes.

  “Do you have a job, Lirya?” Lawrence asked her, and smiled brightly as Lirya giggled.

  “Oh, no!” Lirya laughed, lacing her fingers together. “I just take classes up on the station.”

  Saska walked up beside Lawrence, leaning down on his shoulder with her elbow and kicking out her hip. “You want one?”

  “I… what?” Lirya asked in confused surprise, Mohki just as equally puzzled.

  Lawrence didn’t move despite Saska leaning on him, speaking of a strong muscular build that was hidden from sight.

  He did however seem pleased to have Saska touching him, the cattish woman appearing to lounge in his presence.

  “Do you want a job?” Lawrence asked again, reaching up and gently placing his hand over Saska’s.

  Lirya was still confused, though her tail did wag at seeing the small gesture of affection between the two. “Um… what exactly would I be doing?”

  “She doesn’t know what she’s doing.” Mohki quickly added, stepping up beside the chair that Lirya sat on. “She’s just a student!”

  Lawrence and Saska both looked up at Mohki, the weight of their combined eyes nearly causing her to bow her head.

  Lawrence looked back down at Lirya, while Saska locked Mohki in place with her yellow eyes.

  “The Kafya have been feeling a bit… lost, here on base.” Lawrence said cooly, sliding his hand away from Saska’s and placing it on his lap. “A few here and there have joined some of the churches, but the grand majority of them do not feel as if they fit, or that Human religions are ‘for them’. The same cannot be said of the Pwah or Lilgara, however.”

  “Quite a few Pwah and Lilgara have found solace with the Ashen Templars.” Saska mused, tilting her head coyly at Mohki. “Some to the Odinic Shieldwall, a fair amount to we of the Hands That Cradle… but very, very few of the Kafya.”

  “We have been wondering why that was.” Lawrence said, picking up after Saska. “It takes a great calling to pull a Kafya into a Human temple, but that is still single digits indeed. Saska and I have been entertaining the idea that the Kafya belong to something else we have yet to meet, or have yet to fully understand.”

  Saska nodded, running her fingers through Lawrence’s hair to annoy him. “When we learned there were white furs, we began to speculate further. The numbers came in, and at first we thought your color was quite rare… but it turns out, there is a far more nefarious reason behind it.”

  “She knows.” Mohki said quietly, placing a hand on Lirya’s shoulder. “Just… she doesn’t need to know what happens on other planets.”

  “We have no desire to scare Lirya, Mohki.” Lawrence said patiently. “We do however feel inclined to share some new…. information that was discovered. Information about what the Kafya may be up to.”

  “If need be, we can share the grittier details with Lirya later.” Saska said, now making little circles with her finger in Lawrence’s hair in order to make him squint. “Nearly all the higher ranking religious officials on this base know the information, and we are playing a very soft hand with it.”

  “Which is why I feel rather inclined to offer a job to you, Lirya.” Lawrence said softly, smiling at Lirya despite how annoying Saska was being. “You can come here and live on the base, get paid an official wage, and can take the time to find your own way.”

  Lirya looked at Lawrence, then to Saska, then to Mohki. “My way to what?”

  “To being a priestess… Lirya.” Mohki said quietly, smiling timidly at her. “To becoming a Watani.”

  Lirya had heard the word before, only once during one of her father’s stories, and the word had always given her an odd tickling in her stomach. The odd tickle came back now, and she blinked up at Mohki with wide eyes.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “But… I’m a nobody.” Lirya said quietly, looking back at Lawrence and Saska. “I’m just a gutterfur from a backwater world. I’m not… I just take up space wherever I am.”

  Lawrence frowned at that, while Saska seemed to bristle at the words.

  “No one merely takes up space, Lirya.” Saska said in a quiet, yet fierce voice. “Everyone has the ability to forge their own fate, and no one’s future is set in stone by others.”

  Lawrence nodded. “No matter what you may think, something drew you to this church today, on a day where I was supposed to leave early but someone wanted a late lunch.”

  “I like how you make my sandwiches.” Saska purred down at Lawrence. “You do that funny thing with the mustard and mayonnaise."

  “Regardless of my limited culinary skills, something brought you here to us, Lirya.” Lawrence said, trying not to smile as Saska poked him on the cheek. “I believe you could find purpose under the protection of the Ashen Templars-”

  “-And the Hands That Cradle!” Saska cut in, pinching Lawrence’s cheeks. “You guys need to stop taking all the credit!”

  Lawrence looked at Lirya apologetically as Saska began pinching and poking at his face in false anger. “We would be more than happy to assist you with the paperwork if it means that the Kafyan soldiers in the UAA Army can find peace. You’ll be given rank and lodgings, and can choose a staff for yourself, such as Mohki here.”

  Mohki’s ears perked up at that. “What? She can hire me?”

  “As staff, yes of course.” Lawrence replied, now slowly leaning to the side to avoid Saska. “You are already doing a splendid job of a bodyguard, so she could hire you on as a contractual security component.”

  “I’m not her… bodyguard.” Mohki muttered, though her tail gave a light wag while Lirya looked more confused than she had in the beginning.

  “So…,” Lirya began, leaning forward in her chair, “You want to hire me… to study and train… to be a priestess?”

  Saska nodded through the hand Lawrence had placed against her face to keep her at bay. “Yep! There has been a lot of talk about it already between all the temples, but we haven’t had someone who showed up and matched what we were looking for!”

  “Saska is speaking of the ‘Safeguard Initiative’.” Lawrence said with a laugh as Saska blew a raspberry on his palm. “We have a feeling that older religions are being suppressed, and we have made a program to try and keep those religions alive. Religion, in of itself, is a key cornerstone to a race, and we seek to keep those aspects alive in the places where they are being restrained. For instance, with the Kafya, we have a feeling that they are being heavily suppressed, and are… yearning for something they as a people have lost.”

  Saska chuckled against Lawrence’s hand as he kept leaning away, something that made Lirya’s tail wag and a smile to break across her face. “Just give it a thought, Lirya. If you like the idea, just come back here and see one of us, we can get things moving pretty fast for you.”

  —

  Lirya lay in bed later that night on board Kohan’s ship, as she had been given a small berthing with Mohki. According to the crew, Kohan and Tyllia were having to stay at a small hotel next to the jail due to a fair bit of paperwork they were having to fill out for Icirit, while Rhidi was yanked away to deal with more of the Kafya on base.

  That left Lirya and Mohki alone in their room, setting out their new clothes and going over all the things they had bought during the day.

  Mohki was listening to music and reading some kind of odd comic book, but Lirya found her brain too busy to pay attention to anything.

  The words of Lawrence and Saska kept rolling around in her head, swirling around like a roaring ocean. Her heart fluttered in her chest every time she thought of saying yes, of being her own boss and having something as extravagant as a title.

  On her home planet, she had been able to earn money by digging around in trash and recycling anything that she could, earning a few credits here and there despite how bad it made her smell.

  Her parents always chided her for working, saying that they didn’t need her to do such things despite those meagre credits being helpful…

  … Her parents…

  Lirya blinked up at the ceiling of the room, and her heart let out an excited yell in her chest.

  She could ask the Humans for a favor if she took the job… to try and get her parents off that planet.

  The prospect alone nearly made her jump out of bed and run out to try and find the two Humans, but she took control of her emotions and the light jittering of her nerves.

  If she took the job… she would have her own money, her own rights, protection of the Human religions, protection of the UAA Army, she would have a room, maybe her own vehicle?

  The prospects made her giddy, and she smiled to herself.

  It would be even better if she could hire Mohki, keeping the two of them together. She wondered if she could hire Tyllia as well, but she wasn’t sure what she could do… unless designing clothes was a part of the UAA Army…

  She didn’t think that would wash, so she set the idea to the side for the moment.

  By the time Mohki had gone to sleep, Lirya still could not find it in herself to rest, staring up at the dark ceiling of the room again. While Mohki snoozed with her inner-earphones in, Lirya sat up.

  She slipped on a pair of her new trousers, the tall leather boots, and a blouse, relishing how they felt on her skin.

  Lirya made her way off the ship and went for a walk in the darkness, hearing the odd sounds of the base that also never slept. She walked for maybe five miles before finding a bench, settling down onto it as she drew in a deep breath of the Georgian air.

  She was so deep into her thoughts that she nearly screamed when someone sat down heavily beside her, startling up off the bench and whirling around in a panic.

  To her surprise, it was Rhidi.

  “You’re up late.” Rhidi murmured, her eyes tired as she opened a box of boneless wings, pulling a wooden fork out of her pocket and unwrapping it. “Nice boots.”

  “Oh… thank you!” Lirya cooed, twisting her foot and looking down at them. “I got them yesterday!”

  Rhidi chuckled at that, popping one of her boneless wings into her mouth.

  Lirya noticed she was still in her uniform, and smelled of anger.

  “You are also up late.” Lirya stated, sitting back down slowly on the bench with a swish of her tail. “Aren’t you soldiers usually asleep at this time? I know a Kafya certainly shouldn’t be up this late! You’ll be all fuzzy in the mind tomorrow morning!”

  Rhidi cleaned her fork with her teeth with an annoyed flick of her hand, chewing slowly while poking around at the other things. “Hard to get sleep when you have naughty female Kafya not behaving. Just had to break up a brawl and bloody a girl’s ear because a blue got caught pilfering batteries from an orange. Besides, after a while you get used to waking up and staying awake at weird hours.”

  “Is that normal?” Lirya asked, her ears perked. “For both things, the not sleeping and the fussy soldiers.”

  “It takes a few months, but the body adjusts.” Rhidi said boredly with a shrug. “With Regs it is always something going on. They lack the discipline found in the more elite troopers.”

  Lirya nodded, slowly kicking her boots back and forth while Rhidi ate her late dinner… or perhaps an extremely early breakfast. Lirya kept her eyes up on the foreign, white moon of Earth for a few moments, then turned to Rhidi.

  “How is your mother?” She asked.

  “She’s going to be under house arrest on Earth, pending formal investigation.” Rhidi replied, setting the empty box in between them on the bench. “The Army seems oddly angry at her for attacking me.”

  “What did your religious leaders say?” Lirya asked with a smile, though the smile turned into a nervous line on her face as Rhidi slowly swung her head around to look at Lirya.

  “Pardon?” Rhidi asked flatly.

  Lirya began fidgeting with her fingers. “Well… I just… I figured… you know…”

  “How do you even know that, anyway?” Rhidi asked with honest curiosity in her voice. “You’re not in my unit, and you don’t look like a journalist.”

  Lirya shrugged awkwardly. “Oh… just… a feeling I guess.”

  “A feeling, huh?” Rhidi mused, sucking on the sauce stuck to her teeth as she leaned back against the bench. “You whites are a weird bunch, dad always used to say you guys had this uncanny ability to know things.”

  There was a long pause, then Rhidi turned to Lirya.

  “They were amused.”

  “Pardon?”

  “The Odinists. They were amused. They had found the video and ended up printing a screen shot and pinning it up around places.”

  “Oh!” Lirya gasped out with a giggle. “I see! Do you… like them? The Odinists, not the video.”

  Rhidi shrugged. “They make me feel… things. I can’t really explain it, but I spent a night in that place and some things happened that have stuck in my mind. I feel calm and stronger when I’m around the other Odinists.”

  “Oh.” Lirya murmured, and again that feeling back came into her mind, the one that had told her in all certain terms that Rhidi was ‘not hers’. “Well… I uh… I actually got offered a job yesterday.”

  Rhidi blinked, then leaned her head towards Lirya as she looked the white fur over. “You’re a bit lean for a soldier, did they offer you a position in admin or something?”

  “Uh… well… no.” Lirya said nervously, her fingers fidgeting again. “They actually offered me a job to… well, it seems like they want me to be a… priestess?”

  “A priestess?” Rhidi asked with a tone of surprise. “In what?”

  “Our religion.”

  “We don’t have a religion.”

  “Not according to the Humans, they came across some information or something.”

  “And they want you to head it?”

  “I think they just want me to learn it? They say a lot of the Kafya here on the base have been feeling… oh how did the Human put it…”

  “Lost.” Rhidi said gently, and when Lirya looked around to the yellow furred Kafya, she was staring out at the base. “I have been hearing rumblings of the same feeling, as not many of the Kafya have been getting pulled towards the Human religions.”

  “Yeah…” Lirya replied quietly, looking back up at the Human moon.

  Silence passed between them for a few minutes, and Rhidi broke the quiet.

  “We’re all a bit lost here, you know.” Rhidi began, pulling a can of cola from her pocket and cracking it open. “We’re all Kuwai here now, and despite belonging and finding a home here in the UAA, there is very little to remind the softer Kafya of home. I left because I frankly hated our race and wanted to continue being a soldier, but the others came here to try and outrun the Elder Councils and whatever else was going on on their planet.”

  Rhidi took a long pull from her can of cola, then stretched her arms out along the back of the bench.

  When Lirya didn’t say anything, Rhidi looked back over at the white fur.

  “You going to take it?”

  “Take what?” Lirya asked. “The job?”

  “Yeah!”

  “... I’m thinking I might.”

  “Don’t see why you wouldn’t.” Rhidi replied, taking another drink from her can and smacking her lips. “You white furs have been killed by the millions and abused for who knows how long, and my dad hated how your color was treated. You’re way different than the one I met earlier by the way, and I apologize for my shortness with you on our first meeting.”

  “It’s okay!” Lirya said chirpily, waving a hand at Rhidi. “It’s no problem! It’s not even close to what I had to deal with back home, so…”

  The silence came across them again, and this time it was Lirya that broke the quiet.

  “Do you think the Kafyan soldiers will like me?”

  Rhidi barked out a laugh. “Oh I’m sure they’ll be pretty frosty at first! But you’re a friendly sort. It won’t last for long.”

  “I don’t really know what to do though.”

  “Ask the Humans, they know a lot of stuff and can probably point you in the right direction.”

  “I mean… they’re asking me to bring back our old religion, and it’s been dead for… for…”

  “Thousands of years, if you listen to my dad.”

  “I like Kohan.”

  “Yeah, his wife is a bit of a bitch though.”

  Lirya let out a loud, happy giggle, Rhidi chuckling beside her as she finished off her can of cola.

  “What I’ve found, though,” Rhidi continued on, setting the empty can down on the bench beside her, “Is that I’ve enjoyed being able to forge my own life here on this planet. On Earth, the Elder Councils and all their stupid fucking rules can’t get to you. You can do or be whatever you want down here, and you need to embrace that.”

  Lirya leaned forward, watching Rhidi as she spoke, then pointed at Rhidi’s legs. “Can I get as big of muscles as you?”

  “You can try.” Rhidi chuckled out, extending her legs and flexing them. “You may go bankrupt trying to feed yourself though. I eat damn near… five times a day, work out every day, it can get pretty intense.”

  Lirya looked down at her own, skinny legs, then at her skinny arms… and gave them all a wiggle. “Can I get… a little bit bigger?”

  “I don’t see why not.” Rhidi replied airily. “There’s a fellow that runs the gym on this base, helps all the civilians stay in shape. His name is Mitch… or Michael… something of that sort. If you take the job with the Humans, they can introduce you.”

  “I don’t have to eat five times a day though, right?” Lirya asked, her stomach already feeling queasy at the thought. “I can barely manage three times a day, let alone five…”

  Rhidi let out a low, chuffing laugh, then stood up, gathering her trash for when she found a garbage can.

  Rhidi looked off towards the base again, then back at Lirya, smiling. “You ought to stay awhile. Take the job, try it on, and see how it feels. You may find the freedom… rather difficult to give up.”

  Rhidi began to walk away, then tossed a comment over her shoulder as she waved goodbye to Lirya. “Or worth killing for…”

  Lirya blinked at the words as she waved goodbye; She didn’t think she would be able to kill… but maybe she had it in her to try and breathe life back into whatever aspects of the old ways that she could.

  She sat there considering the thought all the way into the morning, her black eyes burning with the red fire of the rising sun as she stood, brushing off her pants and tunic. Lirya reached up towards the sky, stretching out her back muscles with little pops and cracks, then shook herself a few times before smacking her lips.

  “I’m thirsty.” Lirya said flatly to herself, then took off with a long stride towards the nearest cafe.

  When she arrived at the little coffee place near the drop zone, only the early rising NCOs and Officers were there. They gave her an odd look or two, mostly towards her boots, but Lirya walked out of the shop with a warm latte only a few minutes later, the smell of vanilla curling in her nose and waking up her mind.

  Lirya slowly sipped her coffee as she walked down the sidewalk, gradually picking up her step as her mind began to coalesce around the same, thrumming thought.

  She was taking that job.

  She was going to make something more of herself, more than just some space station charity case, or a little wasteling that picks and plucks through the trash for recycling.

  She was going to be someone her parents could be proud of.

  Before she knew it, Lirya was quick stepping along the sidewalk, stretching out her stride.

  The base came alive around her as Lirya found a new spark in herself, the barracks beginning to rumble with sound and movement as she continued her pace down along the side of the road.

  Reveille played out across the base as the flags were hoisted, cannons were fired, and Lirya began to pick up her speed into a jog.

  Her coffee cup was empty in her clutching hand as she passed by formations of soldiers getting together for PT, with many Kafya turning their heads to watch her go.

  By the time the church loomed into view, Lirya was at a dead, panting sprint, empty coffee cup in hand as she pulled air into her lungs with exhilarated inhales.

  She had never felt this alive in all her life, and she crashed into the doors with the full weight of her body.

  The doors slammed open as Lirya came stumbling through them, her paw boots thudding awkwardly on the polished floors as she careened into the grand hallway.

  She would have fallen flat on her face… if it hadn’t been for Mohki.

  “Fuck’s sakes, Lirya!” Mohki laughed, catching the white fur before her nose could impact the tiles, and pulling her back onto her feet. “Where have you been?! The ship crew said you were seen leaving at like, two in the morning!”

  Lirya, panting and trying to catch her breath, hugged her friend close, laughing airily as she regained her footing. “I… was… thinking!”

  “You couldn’t think on the damn ship?” Mohki asked, patting Lirya down and straightening her blouse so it was no longer crooked. “What did you do, just walk around the base all night?”

  “Kinda, yeah!” Lirya panted out, then hugged Mohki with another breathy giggle. “I met Rhidi again!”

  Mohki narrowed her eyebrows at this, patting Lirya on the back before holding her out by the shoulders. “Was she nice? She didn’t say anything mean did she?”

  “No! No, no.” Lirya said, smoothing back her messy hair. “She… actually helped me realize a few things, and put some other things in perspective.”

  Mohki breathed out. “Oh, good. I was going to play tough and all that, but we both know she would probably use my skull as a bowling ball…”

  A door opened near the back of the church, and a sleepy looking Lawrence stepped out, coffee cup in hand as he investigated all the noise.

  When he saw Lirya, he smiled. “Oh, well good morning Lirya. I didn’t think I would see you until later this evening.”

  “Good morning Lawrence!” Lirya called out, taking Mohki by the hand and walking towards the man. “You look sleepy!”

  “Saska tends to sno-” Lawrence began to say, then coughed and took a quick sip of his coffee before gesturing with his mug. “I was up late reading some of the data cache that was brought in. We managed to make a nice dossier for you while we look at the rest of it.”

  Mohki, having heard that first little bit, chose to ignore it while being dragged by Lirya. “Data cache?”

  “Yes, brought in by one of our ships. It was found by some friendly-aligned fellows of the stars and given over to the UAA for a finder’s fee.” Lawrence mused, taking another sip of coffee as Lirya came before him with a proud bounce of her heels. He smiled at her, setting down his cup on a nearby side table and placing his hands on his hips. “So, Lirya. I take it you have come to a decision?”

  Lirya nodded rapidly, pulling Mohki up beside her with a soft tug. “I have! And… and I want to do it! I want to try, at least. Are you sure I can hire Mohki? She works up on station and her job quite likes her.”

  “Lirya-” Mohki began, but Lawrence held up his hand.

  “We can work with the station and help pay off any debts or buyout contracts, that is not an issue for us.” Lawrence said, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as he looked at Mohki. “We believe it would be beneficial for Lirya to have you at her side.”

  “What if I don’t want to do that?” Mohki quipped, annoyed despite Lirya bouncing up and down in her hands.

  Lawrence let out a small yawn, then rolled a shoulder. “You can choose your own uniform, the UAA supplies a pistol, rifle, ammunition, and other gear you may desire. Plus a solid rate of pay.”

  “Probably not solid enough.” Mohki growled. “I made good money on station.”

  Lawrence reached inside his clothing, pulled out a data slate, tapped it, then held it out towards Mohki so only she could see.

  When Mohki read the number, her eyebrows slowly climbed on her face as she read along.

  “... I can uh… be persuaded.” Mohki muttered, which did nothing but make Lirya cackle happily while stomping her feet.

  The front doors opened again, all three of them turning to see Saska walking in with a pair of coffees in her hand.

  “Oi, Lawrence! I wanted to apologize for biting-” Saska began, then froze with wide, embarrassed yellow eyes as she saw Lirya and Mohki standing there. Her face turned from shocked confusion to a wolfish grin, and she very carefully pumped her coffee cup laden fist. “Oh fuck yeah!”

  Lawrence grimaced at such language being used in the main, public area of his church, though Mohki nudged him in the ribs as Lirya went off to meet Saska, the two hugging each other with loud laughs.

  “I see why you like her.” Mohki mused, crossing her arms.

  Lawrence gave a wry chuckle, folding his arms as well. “Her energy gives me mine. Would you prefer a submachine gun or a rifle?”

  “Sub gun would do me fine.” Mohki said with a smile, Lirya looking over her shoulder at her with the widest smile she had ever seen the white fur produce. “Something tells me I’ll be working in tight spaces here soon, and up close.”